Restaurant Owners Say Proposed Health Dept. Grades Unfair
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The green Health Department decals on local eateries could soon be replaced with letter grades.
"You know, if you get an 89 and that means the B's gonna go on your door and the A goes on their door," said Kevin Joyce, owner of The Carlton.
This group of restaurant owners doesn't like the idea of a report card approach.
And they spoke out at last night's council meeting, after County Executive Rich Fitzgerald proposed three new food safety inspectors.
It's part of a plan to change Health Department ratings.
Fitzgerald says restaurants would get a second chance to improve, even a third if they're willing to pay.
"And they come in and fix those violations you've improved," said Fitzgerald. "That's a benefit to the restaurant that has an A on its door and benefit to the consumer going into that restaurant and being ensured it's safer than it probably was before."
Letter grades are used in other cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego, but this would be new for Pennsylvania.
"It should be uniform," said David Calabria of Calabria's Restaurant. "You want to be able to go anywhere in the counties, states and make your family feel safe that you're going to a restaurant. People take pride in their restaurants."
That pride could be tarnished by a less-than-stellar rating.
An unfair test, they say – that's a mere snapshot in time.
"An inspector comes in and sees a few minor infractions and we got a letter grade below an A, it would cause a lot of concern and we would lose a lot of business," said Patti Girasole of Girasole's Restaurant.
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